establishing your pace for training for the dwim discipline

when you are driving on the expressway, you drive just below or just above the speed limit of 80km/hr or 90km/hr.
when you are driving around the car park looking for a parking lot, you drive at snail pace of 20km/hr or less to avoid hitting anyone walking around the car park.

when you are out running with your friends socially around the park, you run at an easy pace to chat.
when you are running in a race, you run till you feel like throwing up.

you drive at different pace for different reasons, and you run at different pace for different reasons.

unlike the car, apart for purpose, your ability to run at different pace is dependent on your physical ability and limitations.
to run as fast as possible for any distance you need to train for that distance.
but there is a magic pace that you have now that you can vary your training for any distance from that. it is the latact threshold we are looking at.

for swim
3x300m at maximun effort with 30 secs or less rest in between. there should not be more than 15 secs difference from the 1st set to the 3rd set.

for bike
2x5km at maximun effort with 30secs rest. note the temperature, wind condition and terrain for testing.

for run
2.4km as fast as you can.
note conditions

will use these values to give you your pace for training for sprint, OD, half ironman triathlon training.

advantage of being in a team with a coach

when i started doing triathlon, there is no triathlon team nor coach. all i did was to train with people who are better in the different disciplines. i will try to swim with the swimmers, run with the runners and bike with the cyclists.
i will read all about triathlon from the one and only triathlete magazine, read Dave Scott training bible and just talk to people. anyone who has something to tell me about triathlon i will listen.

and i did this in the midst of my university education while working part time as home tutor for my allowance.

it was 20 years ago.

in the school that i coached, we persuade athletes to come for training, we provide coaching, training program beyond the training sessions, run camp and give talks on areas concerning the sports like nutrition and injury. we try to be comprehensive and encouraging.
even managed to get school to sponsor entry fees for races and attire.

most people will complained that motivation is the reason why they are not training...

there is a team who will train with you regularly that you need not travel afar for, just walk down to the pool or track in school.
and there is a coach who will correct your techique that you did not spend money for. most private sessions are $80 - $120 for techique correction.

but there are still others who complained that they can't do the sports because they have no time nor money for the expensive cool gear. can you give up some social life for training or use functional but not too cool gear?

granted you might not be interested, then there is no point is trying.
but if you are keen, what is the real reason for not benefitting from the training?

are we making things more complicated or it is really advancement

Last month I bought a pair of running socks for $15. I remember the first pair of $1.50 socks I ran with was some white thin cotton stuff that I wore with my white canvas school shoes. It was really thin and with nothing fancy. I wear the same socks for everything including a kick around with my plastic soccer ball on the void deck.

20 years later, I have socks for cycling, walking, being comfortable with my street shoes and of course running.

And some of those socks were meant for flatter racing shoes, to the thicker ones for my more cushioned shoes. there are those with left and right differeniated cutting, and those with more material to creat a soft landing in the forefoot and heel. and even those who gives support to the arch.

and some with funky design and match your personality (i have a pair with shark motif)

Have we made our live more complicated or it is really advancement?

But I feel that there is really an improvement in comfortable, even though even so slightly…

you can read a runing shoes only review at
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-320--11862-0,00.html?cm_mmc=Extra%20NL-_-2007_05_22-_-training-_-REVIEW%3a%20Best%20Socks%20for%20Every%20Occasion

BTW i bought the nike one in the review :)